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REF-CFO-01 · US · SINGAPORE · HONG KONG · GCC · IRELAND · FULL-TIME

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Build and lead our global finance function, from launch to a multi-country operator.

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  • Reference

    REF-CFO-01

  • Location

    US · Singapore · Hong Kong · GCC · Ireland

  • Type

    Full-time

  • Posted

    15 October 2026

  • Status

    Open
01 — The role

What you would own.

We are looking for a Chief Financial Officer to build and lead our global finance function as we grow from launch to a multi-country operator. You will fund our growth, set up finance infrastructure across the United States, the Gulf (GCC) and India, and prepare the company for a major capital event or IPO.

You will be a strategic partner to the CEO and the Board. You are hands-on enough to build systems and teams from scratch, and experienced enough to manage institutional investors, multi-country entities and audit-grade reporting.

You will

  • Capital strategy: lead equity and debt fundraising, and own relationships with investors in the US, the Gulf and India.
  • Planning and performance: own the budget, forecasting and our SaaS metrics framework (ARR, NRR, CAC payback, burn multiple, gross margin).
  • Multi-entity finance: oversee the finance setup of our legal entities, plus banking, treasury and intercompany cash management across the US, Singapore, the GCC, India and future markets.
  • Reporting and audit: deliver a timely monthly close and audit-ready consolidated financials under US GAAP or IFRS.
  • IPO and exit readiness: build the controls, systems and governance needed for a public listing or strategic transaction, and support M&A.
  • Team and systems: build a global finance and FP&A team and implement scalable finance systems.
  • Strategic partnership: work with the CEO on pricing, unit economics, market entry and capital allocation.

You bring

  • 15+ years in finance, including at least 5 years as CFO, VP Finance or Finance Director of a high-growth technology company.
  • A track record of scaling a finance function through major growth, for example from under USD 10M to USD 100M+ ARR, or from one entity to a multi-country group.
  • Experience leading or co-leading fundraising rounds, ideally USD 50M+ in aggregate, and working with institutional investors and an independent board with an audit committee.
  • Hands-on experience with multi-entity consolidation and cross-border treasury.
  • A senior finance background at a publicly listed company or at a Big Four accounting firm.
  • Exposure to an IPO, IPO preparation or an acquisition (buy or sell side) is a strong plus.
02 — Sector and international experience

Sector and international experience

You bring finance experience in ERP / B2B SaaS or the creator economy. Experience in both is ideal.

  • ERP and B2B SaaS: subscription revenue recognition (ASC 606 / IFRS 15), SaaS metrics and benchmarking, and pricing for mid-market and enterprise customers.
  • Creator economy: marketplace and platform finance, take rates, high-volume cross-border payouts, FX and payment-provider costs.

You also have hands-on finance experience in the Gulf states or India, ideally both. You have set up or run entities, banking and treasury there, not only consolidated them from headquarters.

  • GCC: entity setup in free zones and mainland jurisdictions (for example DIFC, ADGM, DMCC or Saudi MISA), Gulf banking and treasury, and work with government-linked customers and investors.
  • India: running an Indian subsidiary or India-based finance team, FEMA/FDI rules, Indian statutory audit and the Companies Act.
03 — Location and travel

Location and travel

You are based in the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, a GCC country or Ireland. You will travel regularly to the US, the Gulf and India, around 25–40% of your time.

04 — Education and qualifications

Education and qualifications

Required
  • Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics or a related field.
  • A professional accounting qualification (CPA, CA, ACCA or CIMA) or an MBA in finance.
  • Fluent professional English.
Nice to have
  • Indian Chartered Accountant (ICAI) or US CPA.
  • CFA charter, or investment banking experience.
  • Arabic or Hindi.
  • Audit-committee or board experience at another company.
  • Experience implementing modern finance and ERP systems.
05 — About Cognitiva Systems

About Cognitiva Systems

Cognitiva Systems builds CognitivaOS, the cognitive record of the creator industry. Our platform brings creator compliance, cross-border taxation, global IP rights and secure creator payments into one system, so creators are paid in days, not weeks.

Founded in 2026, we have invested more than USD 8 million in product development. CognitivaOS runs a separate legal framework for each country it serves, with contracts in seven languages. We launch in the UAE in January 2027, followed by India and the United States.

We work from Houston, New York, Washington DC, Dubai, Sarajevo and Singapore.

06 — How we hire

Apply. Talk. Meet. Decide.

Four steps. A clear answer within four weeks.

  1. 01

    Apply

    Send your CV and a few lines on what you would own.

  2. 02

    Talk

    A first conversation with the hiring lead.

  3. 03

    Meet

    A working session on a real problem from the role.

  4. 04

    Decide

    A clear answer within four weeks.

07 — How to apply

Send your CV and a short note on the finance function you are proudest of building.

All applications are treated in confidence. We log your application and reply with a private link, so you can follow it from Apply to Decide.

our email addressSubject: Application – REF-CFO-01 – Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
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Cognitiva Systems Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from veterans. We assess every candidate on skills, experience and potential.

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) | Cognitiva